By Ravit Lichtenberg (blog) – This year, GigaOm’s NewTeeVee Livehas explored TV Everywhere. In addition to general sessions, the conference featured 10 upcoming video startups—each providing a critical element of video and TV viewing puzzle. In Thursday’s morning session, the firstfive companies present their predictions for TV and video:
Elemental Technologies (Sam Blackman, CEO)
The company (elementaltechnologies.com), which is headquartered in Portland, raised 7.1M Series A funding in June 2008 and has burned $2M in 3 years with 27 employees. Customers include the CDC—the number one consumer of video, as well as Adobe and Microsoft.
Blackman’s prediction:
- Unlike other forms of media, the internet will not destroy the Pay TV business models.
- Consumers will want a high quality, seamless, video experience across multiple platforms: mobile, laptop, TV.
- People are going to be willing to pay for it to achieve the ease of use across platform that will pay for the infrastructure
FreeWheel (Doug Knopper, Co-Founder and Co-CEO)
FreeWheel helps publishers manage content regardless of where it is today or device. Today, FreeWheel is announcing a partnership with Warner Bros. for delivering online videos across the web
Knopper’s prediction:
- In the $200 battle for online video—the consumer is the winner.
- Winner in this world will be 1) companies that create content and services that are new and compelling and that consumers are willing to pay for it and 2) Companies that create new value chains.
- Everyone is going to get their content in some fashion over the internet.
- TV everywhere is going to be come content anywhere.
Boxee (Avner Ronen, CEO and Co-Founder)
Boxee is announcing the release of its Beta next week in NYC, featuring a whole new user interface, social components, and the physical product—the BOX.
By 2015:
- The biggest internet show is going to be bigger than the biggest TV show in terms of overall business
- More Apple subscribers for video content than Comcast subscribers
- People will watch more videos and will pay more money for them
Inlet Technologies (Matt Smith, Senior Director, Systems Architecture)
Inlet Technologies is focused on “giving users what they want.” It’s motto is: More=Better. More feeds, more camera angles, more choice, more opportunities. Today, it is announcing it has signed a deal Universal Sports to power and create a unique web experience that will replace repurposing TV and enhance the viewer’s experience.
Smith’s predictions:
- 2010 will be the year of More
- Quality will count even more
- The user will become the programmer
- Platform-specific programming will take over repurposing TV content
Canesta (James Spare, President and CEO)
Canesta provides 3D natural interfaces and gestures, powered by a single 3D sensor chip and integrated into TV experience, comparing its disruption to the way touchscreen technology changed the mobile experience.
Spare’s prediction is that the possibilities brought about by 3D gestures, interfaces, and interaction will change the way people consume content.
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